Controlling device for motor-vehicles, air-ships, &amp;c.



1 G. F, LARKIN. CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES, AIR SHIPS, dw.-

APPLICATION I'ILED JAN. 30, 1909.

944,879. Patented news, 1909.

. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

G. P. LARKIN. CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES, AIB SHIPS, aw.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30, 1909.

Y Patented Dec. 28 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

" I 7th? Gear ei'fiarkziz v has heretofore been done.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE FREDERICK LARKIN, OF BRENTWOOD, ENGLAND.

CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES, AIR-SHIPS, 8E0.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 28, 1909. I Application filed January 30, 1909. Serial No. 475,090.

To all whom it may concern:-

Be it known that I, GEORGE Fnnnnnrox LARKIN, a subject of HisMajesty the King of England, residing at: Brentwood, in the Kingdom of England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Controlling Device for Motor-Vehicles, Air-Ships, &c

This invention relates to a novel construct1on of flexible transmission controlling devices; and although the invention isapplitransmission controlling devices mounted thereon, and arranged in such a compact form that the said devices are easily accessi- 'ble to the operator and are consequently located in'a more convenient position than.

Another object of the invention is to provide a steering wheel having a plurality of pivoted controlling levers arranged to operate in the same plane as the said wheel,

a said levers being adapted to transmit a vertical movement to .a flexible vtransmitting medium.

With these and other objects in view, the

invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully I sacrificing described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, andinted out in the claims hereto ap nd various c 'anges in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, withinthescope of the claims, ma be resorted to without departing \from t e spirit or. any ofthe advantages of the invention. v

In the drawing, Figure 1' is a front elevation of a motor vehicle controlling'device, with certain arts removed for the sake of clearness an showing my invention applied therein. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fi 3 is a vertical transverse sect onal view 0 the same, showing some 's parts in all the figures of the I k by'common fastening means 0 and 0 reparts in elevation. .Like reference numerals designate correrawing.

; it being understood that Theinvention comprises a steering tube of ordinary construction having suitably mounted thereon a frame having a base portion a which, is arranged on the steering tube, and a forwardly extending portion a. Extending upwardly and rearwardly t rom a point intermediate of the base aand the forwardly extending portion (1 is a casing a employed for a purpose hereinafter dea is provided with side walls (r -a which inthe frame and above, the forwardly extending portion a thereof, are a pair of vertically arranged pulley g and 9 being respectively provided'with peripheral grooves .g andg, These pulleys are respectively arranged between the upstanding member 1 and the walls a and are adapted torevolve These pulleys are each arranged in a plane. substantially parallel to the opposite walls aa of the frame. One of the pulleys g ispreferably arranged at such an elevation that the center line of the. lower horizontal drum (1 would engage the bottom of the pe-' ripheral groove of said pulley, and the ot ,higher plane thanthe first-mentioned pulley and in the same relation with the upper horizontal drum d as the lower horizontal vpulley g. Flexible transmission media h and [1, are employed, and are respectively adapted to pass over the vertical'pulleys g and g and around the correspondmg horizontal drums (l and" d respectively; These members are respectively secured to the ends of the arms 70 and scribed. The forwardly extending portiondiverge rearwardly to form the wallof the onsuitable bearings m and m respectively.-

drum (1 is to the first-mentioned vertical er pulley g is. preferably arranged in a The invention further embodies a steering wheel which is composed of two semicircular or curved rack members Z and m spectively. One of the members at is secured to the underside of the ends of the said arms, and the other member Z is of a smaller radius than the other member, and is provided with outwardly curved ends q and 9 This member is arranged above and spaced from the larger member a, the ends Q and thereof being respectively secured to the top of the said ends of the arms In and is by the said fastening means 0 and 0 respectively. Each of these members is provided on the underside witha plurality of teeth Z and m respectively. Thus, it will be seen that the steering wheel is composed of two semi-circular or arcuate members,

' each of which are horizontally disposed and spaced from one another.

The invention further comprises a pair of levers c and c which are respectively connected to the horizontal drums (Z and d. The upper lever 0 extends rearwardly beyond and below the upper semi-circular 'member Z, and is provided with a dog 0 which is adapted to engage in any of the teeth of the said member, and thereby lock the upper horizontal drum in various positions. The lower lever c which is connected to the horizontal drum (Z extends rearwardly through an opening a of the casing and beyond and underthe lower semi-circular member m. This lever is also provided with a dog 0 Which is adapted to engage in the plurality of teeth of the said member m, and thereby lock the upper horizontal drum in various positions. Each of the levers is provided With an upstanding knob and 0 respectively. Thus, it will be seen that if either of the controlling members is given a horizontal movement, a vertical movement will be imparted to the flexible transmitting medium. While only two-levers and corresponding. pulleys have been shown and described, it is obvious that more could be employed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

' What I claim is:

1. In a flexible transmission controlling device for motor vehicles or the like, the

combination with a substantially tubular member, of a frame mounted thereon, a hand wheel horizontall arranged and rearwardly extending rom the'said frame, horizontal drums mounted in the frame, vertical pulleys also mounted in the frame and in close proximity to the said horizontal drums, flexible transmitting media, and operating levers respectively secured to the-horizontal drums and adapted to transmit a vertical movement to the flexible transmitting media.

2. In a flexible transmission controlling device-for motor vehicles or the like, the

combination with a substantially tubular member, of a frame mounted thereon and provided with a plurality of verticalpulleys and a corresponding number of horizontal drums which are arranged in close proximity to the said vertical pulleys, a plurality ofspacad curved members extending rearwardly from the frame and disposed in a horizontal plane, flexible transmitting media attached to the horizontal drums and adapted to be led over the said vertical pulleys, and levers respectively secured to the horizontal drums for transmittinga vertical movement to the transmitting media, said. levers extendin rearwardly from the frame in a horizonta plane and arranged to respectively engage each of the curved members and thereby lock the said horizontal drums in various positions. 1

3. In a flexible transmission controlling device for motor vehicles or the like, the combination with a substantially tubular member, of a frame mounted thereon, spaced horizontal levers having drums carried thereby and arranged one above the other in a horizontal plane, vertical pulleys mounted in the frame and in such relation to the levers that the plane of each pulley is respectively at a tangent to the drum of the corresponding lever and at such a height that the plane'of the pulley is at a tangent to the lever, and flexible transmitting media passing around said horizontal drums and adapted to be led therefrom over said vertical pulleys.

4. In a flexible transmission controlling device for motor vehicles or the like,,the combination with a substantially tubular member, of a frame mounted thereon and provided with a cut-out portion, a centrally arranged upstanding bearing member located Within the said cut-out portion, a plurality of vertical pulleys mounted in the said cut-out portion on said bearing member, a plurality of horizontal drums mounted on a common bearing and arranged in rear of and in close proximity to the said vertical pulleys, flexible transmitting media arranged to engage the said drums, andaa plurality of horizontal levers respectively con? .nected to the said horizontal drums, said levers belng adapted to transmit a verticalmovement to the flexible transmitting media through the said horizontal drums.

5. Ina flexible transmission controlling device for motor vehicles or the like, the combination with a substantially tubular member, of a frame mounted thereon and provided with a forwardly extending base portion having side Walls, and a centrally arranged bearing member extending upwardly from said portion between the walls,

a casing formed by theframe and arranged above the base portion and provided with a central upstanding member, horizontal drums mounted one above the other on the. upstanding member of the casing, vertical pulleys mounted in the ,bearingmember of the base portion and at different heights so 139 that the center lines of the horizontal drums will respectively engage the tops of the vertical pulleys, opposltely arranged arms exdrums and extending rearwardly in'a horizontal plane and adapted to respectively eligage the teeth of the said curved members, said levers being adapted to impart a vertical movement to a flexible transmitting media. I

6. In a flexible transmission controlling device for motor vehicles or the like, com prising a substantially tubular member, a frame mounted thereon, a plurality of horizontally-arranged drums mounted inthe frame-one above the other, a plurality of levers directly connected to and operating the said drums, a plurality of vertical pulleys also mounted in the frame, flexible transmitting media passing around the horizontal drums and over the vertical pulleys, thelatter being'arranged in different vertical planes so as to accord with the ar- 7. In a flexible transmission controlling device for motor vehicles or the like, comprising a substantially tubular member, a frame mounted thereon, a plurality of horizontally-arranged drums mounted in the frame one above the other, a plurality of levers directly connected to and operating the said drums, a plurality of vertical pulleys also mounted in. the frame, flexible transmitting media passing around the horizontal drums and over the vertical pulleys, the latter being arranged in different vertical planes so as to accord with the arrangement of the horizontal drums, and also disposed at a tangent to the horizontal drums, and means for adjusting andlocking the levers at difierent points of their movement. I v

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention l have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE FREDERICK LARKIN. 

